Clasp fastener



June 27,1944. HOWARD 2,352,437

CLASP FASTENER Fi led Dec. 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F073 es I10 war (ia (may June 27, 1944. WA D 7 2,352,437

CLASP FASTENER Filed Dec. 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'iq'r FY96" Invenior: FbrZesHowardL WWJM Patented June 27, 1944 CLASP FASTENER Forbes Howard, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 16, 1941, Serial No. 423,180

1 Claim.

This invention. relates to improvements in fastener devices or catches of the type adapted to secure the lid of a container such as a box, suitcase, and the like.

The chief object of my invention is the provision of a fastener device of simple and inexpensive construction operable to secure the lid in firm assembly with the main body of the container even though parts of the fastener device are slightly out of alignment prior to being moved into latched relation.

Other objects and uses of my invention will be apparent from inspection of the drawings and specification hereinbelow set forth.

Referring to the drawings in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Fig. l is a front view of the latching element comprising one part of my fastener device and secured to the lid of a container;

Fig. 2 is a front plan view of the keeper part of the fastener device secured to the main body of the container;

Fig. 3 is a front plan view showing the parts of my fastener device in fastened relation;

Fig. 4 is a front view showing the latching element being moved into engagement with the keeper element;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the latching element shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the latching element shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3; and I Fig. 9 is a section similar to Fig. '7 showing the keeper before engagement of the latching element therewith.

Referring in detail to the drawings I have shown an improved fastener device comprising a keeper or plate member I carried by the main body 2 of a container, and a latching element 3 carried by a lid 4 of the container and engageable with the keeper member to fasten the lid in its closed position. The latching element 3 is formed from a strip of spring metal and pro vides a tongue-like main body 5. A shieldshaped attaching element 5 is provided at one end of the tongue 5 and has an aperture 6 through which an attaching member such as a screw 1 extends to secure the element 6 to the lid 4. The opposite end of the spring tongue 5 from the attaching element 6 has a reversely bent element 8 spaced in substantially parallel relation to the tongue 5 and forming a continuation of the same. The reversely bent portion 8 has an outermost free end portion 9 extending toward the tongue 5 in substantially transverse relation to the general plane thereof so as to provide an offset element for cooperative fastener engagement with the keeper l.

The keeper I comprises a dish-shaped plate H3 preferably formed by drawing and stamping a single piece of material, preferably metal. An attaching element in the form of a prong II is integrally joined to the lower end l2 of the plate member and extends in angular relation to the plate member so as to be embedded in the material of the main body 2 of the container, as most clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 9. An attaching element I3 is formed integrally with the upper end I I of the plate member and comprises a laterally extending portion I5 having a downwardly extending lip I6 for embedded engagement with the upper edge ll of the body 2 of the container, as most clearly shown in Fig. 9. Thus, the attaching elements II and I3 cooperate to secure the keeper firmly to its support. The plate member has a groove I8 formed by depressing the material of the plate I0 which extends from the upper end I4 toward the lower end I2 and of sufficient depth to provide walls I9 on opposed sides thereof for guiding the latching element 3. The groove is open at its end 20 adjacent the end I4 of the plate member to receive the latching element 3. At an opposite end of the groove from the open end 20 a deeper depressed portion 2| is formed in the plate member, providing an abutment 22 adjacent its junction with the bottom surface 23 of the groove I8, as most clearly shown in Fig. 9. The depressed portion 2| is of sufiicient length to receive the greater part of the reversely bent portion 8 of the latching element 3 so that when the parts of the fastener device are in final assembly they present a substantially flush outer surface and provide a generally symmetrical outline, as suggested in Fig. 3. The walls I9 of the groove I8 are flared outwardly as at 24 adjacent the open end 20 of the groove, whereby the groove is relatively wide adjacent the open end but gradually narrows into a narrow channel 25 (Figs. 2 and 4) bounded by parallel portions of the walls IS. The flared walls 24 form camming edges so as to provide a lead for entering the latching element into the narrow portion 25 of the groove should the parts of the fastener device be slightly out of alignment as commonly occurs in connection with containers of light construction, such as cardboard suitcases and the like. The bottom surface 23 of the groove is inclined from its open end 20 to the abutment 22 so as to cam the latching element into fastening engagement with the abutment 22, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

When the container lid 4 is closed, the reversely bent portion 8 of the latching element 3 enters the groove l8 through its open end 29 and rides up the inclined bottom surface 23 of the groovc until the offset element 9 snaps into engagement with the abutment 22. If the latching element 3 is slightly out of line with the groove Hi When the parts are moved into fastener engagement the latching element strikes one of the flared walls 2 1 adjacent the groove, as shown in Fig. 4, and is cammed thereby into the portion 25 of the groove so as to properly engage the abutment 22.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claim.

I claim:

A fastener for containers and the like comprising a keeper formed from a single piece of' sheet metal providing an outwardly dished plate member and a latch member formed from a single piece of sheet metal, a depressed portion forming a groove in the front face of said plate member extending from one edge thereof to the opposite edge thereof, a step in said depressed portion part way along the groove providing an abrupt abutment, and said latch member being in the form of a spring tongue having a concealed offset element engageable with said abrupt abutment to hold the parts of the fastener together.

FORBES HOWARD. 

